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Books for Keeps 170 - the children's book magazine online

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Digital version – browse, print or download

Books for Keeps is packed with articles, interviews comment and, of course, reviews.

You can read the whole issue online here, for free!

How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on this PDF file link - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.

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BfK No. 170 - May 2008

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic. Frank Cottrell Boyce is interviewed by George Hunt. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this May cover.

BfK No. 170 Articles

Editorial – May 2008

News and comment from the Editor.

Libraries for Living: the KidsLibs Trust Kenya

Beverley Naidoo describes how recent events have affected community libraries.

Laureate Log - May 2008

Michael Rosen reports on his laureateship.

Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): Including all children

Kimberly Safford stresses the importance of inclusion.

Windows into Illustration: Neal Layton

Neal Layton explains his approach to Emily Brown and the THING.

The Branford Boase Award

Julia Eccleshare discusses its impact.

Authorgraph No.170: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce interviewed by George Hunt.

I Wish I’d Written... The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Graham Marks chooses Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Hal’s Reading Diary - May 2008

Roger Mills on how Hal's frustration can get in his way.

Letter to the Editor - May 2008

Theresa Heine writes about Ally Kennen's Berserk.

Classics in Short No.69: A Picture History of Britain

Brian Alderson on Clarke Hutton's A Picture History of Britain.

Editor's Choice

The Island

Armin Greder
(Allen & Unwin)
5

First published in Germany in 2002, this large format picture book is a powerful fable for our times. A man is washed up on a beach and his arrival provokes fear in the people that find him because ‘he wasn’t like them’. Grudgingly they allow him...

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New Talent

Evil Weasel

Hannah Shaw
(Jonathan Cape)
4

Small children love a thoroughly bad character and Evil Weasel is a rich and powerful show-off, a bully and a sneak who plays mean tricks on everyone. But when no one comes to his party, Weasel feels let down: after all it ‘isn’t much fun when...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 170

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Mammoth Pie

    Jeanne Willis
    5
  • The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say MOO

    Jonathan Allen
    5
  • Molly and the Night Monster

    Chris Wormell
    4
  • Lucy Goosey

    Margaret Wild
    4
  • How Big Is the World?

    Britta Teckentrup
    4
  • A Hole in the Road

    Jakki Wood
    4
  • Fleabag

    Helen Stephens
    4
  • Evil Weasel

    Hannah Shaw
    4
  • The Three Wishes

    David Melling
    3
  • Ten on a Train

    John O'Leary
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Rumblewick Letters, The: My Unwilling Witch!

    Hiawyn Oram
    4
  • The Reluctant Dragon

    Kenneth Grahame
    4
  • A Mummy for Owen

    Marion Dane Bauer
    4
  • The Moon in Swampland

    4
  • Don't Be Horrid, Henry!

    Francesca Simon
    4
  • Catch that Crocodile!

    Anushka Ravishankar
    4
  • Big Ben

    Rachel Anderson
    4
  • Ape

    Martin Jenkins
    4
  • Anna Hibiscus

    Atinuke
    4
  • Elephant's Story

    Harriet Blackford
    3
  • Best Dog Bonnie

    Bel Mooney
    3
  • Boys Are Best!

    Manuela Olten
    2
  • Growing Green: A young person's guide to taking care of the planet

    Christina Goodings
    1
  • The Beeman

    Laurie Krebs
    1

Ages 8-10

  • Dinomummy

    Dr Phillip Lars Manning
    5
  • What's Eating You? Parasites - the Inside Story

    Nicola Davies
    4
  • Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister

    Liz Kessler
    4
  • The Oxford Book of Bible Stories

    Berlie Doherty
    4
  • The Island that Moved

    Meredith Hooper
    4
  • Mr Gum and the Power Crystals

    Andy Stanton
    3
  • The Dragon of Krakow and other Polish Stories; A Fistful of Pearls and other tales from Iraq

    Richard Monte
    3
  • The Cursed Sword

    Rosalind Kerven
    3
  • The Urban Turbans

    Dahlian Kirby
    2
  • The Other Book

    Philip Womack
    2
  • The Curious Boy's Book of Adventure

    Sam Martin
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Master of the Fallen Chairs

    Henry Porter
    5
  • Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City

    Kirsten Miller
    5
  • The Island

    Armin Greder
    5
  • The Arrival

    Shaun Tan
    5
  • Airman

    Eoin Colfer
    5
  • Ways to Live Forever

    Sally Nicholls
    4
  • Space Encyclopedia

    Caroline Bingham
    4
  • The Prison Runner

    Deborah Ellis
    4
  • The Nostradamus Prophecy

    Theresa Breslin
    4
  • The Game

    Diana Wynne Jones
    4
  • Dragonfly

    Julia Golding
    4
  • Chicken Dance

    Jacques Couvillon
    4
  • The Book of a Thousand Days

    Shannon Hale
    4
  • Space Cowboy

    Justin Stanchfield
    3
  • Hox

    Annemarie Allan
    3
  • The Anglo-Saxons in Britain; The Celts in Britain

    Robert Hull
    3
  • The Case of the Limehouse Laundry

    Anthony Read
    3
  • The Fire of Ares

    Michael Ford
    2
  • Eye of the Moon

    Dianne Hofmeyr
    2
  • Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death

    Sarah Matthias
    1
  • The Arab-Israeli Conflict

    Cath Senker
    1

Ages 14+

  • Extras

    Scott Westerfeld
    5
  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

    Sherman Alexie
    5
  • Shakespeare's Apprentice

    Veronica Bennett
    4
  • Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams

    Rosie Rushton
    4
  • Newes from the Dead

    Mary Hooper
    4
  • Bog Child

    Siobhan Dowd
    4
  • Blade: Playing Dead

    Tim Bowler
    4
  • Black Mail

    Thomas Feibel
    4
  • The Kissing Club

    Julia Clarke
    3
  • Slave Harvest

    Andrew Butcher
    2
  • Eclipse

    Stephenie Meyer
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • The Ultimate First Book Guide

    5
  • A Child's History of England

    Charles Dickens
    3

BfK News

ALL STORIES, A NEW MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR UNDERREPRESENTED CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

All Stories logo

read more...
2021 SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

CKG Logo

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

read more...
INAUGURAL LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE JHALAK CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT PRIZE

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Jhalak Prize logo

read more...
ONJALI RAÚF BECOMES WRITER IN RESIDENCE FOR BOOKTRUST

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

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LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

read more...
NOW OPEN: 2021 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

Finish a story started by Branford Boase Award winner Liz Hyder

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.

read more...
TWO UK ENTRIES ON IBBY LIST OF OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations for its international List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Nominations are made by IBBY national sections and the final list is selected from these by the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Young People with Disabilities, based in Toronto. Because of its international content, the list is unique in the children’s book world. It is a huge voluntary undertaking as every country is encouraged to submit up to twelve titles across the three categories.

read more...
LONGLIST FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The longlist for the 2021 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

read more...
NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

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